For anyone who relies on a computer—be it for work or entertainment—few things can be more frustrating than waiting on a machine that has become slow and unresponsive.

If your computer is sluggish and not as snappy as it was when it was new, it may be the result of too little memory. The good news is that in most cases this is an easy fix. Here are some tips on how to know when your computer could use a memory upgrade and what you can do about it.

Your computer’s memory may need an upgrade when:

• You experience poor performance in everyday tasks such as viewing digital photos, watching videos or working on a document or presentation.

• When restarting, the boot-up time seems to take forever.

• Response time suffers when multiple programs or windows are open at the same time.

What is RAM?
At its most basic, random access memory, or RAM, is used by a computer to run its programs. Any time you open your e-mail, surf the Web, watch a video, type a paper, play a game or just plain turn on your computer, the system is using its internal memory.

Should You Install Additional Memory Yourself or Use an Expert?
While the physical act of installing memory is fairly simple, the process of finding the correct type of memory upgrade for your computer can sometimes be confusing and complex for the average computer owner.

Fortunately, Crucial.com, an online retailer specializing in memory and storage, offers free, easy-to-use online tools designed to help you quickly find the right memory upgrade to restore your computer’s lost performance.

The Crucial® Memory Advisor tool enables you to choose your computer make and model from a simple drop-down menu to immediately see detailed information regarding the types of memory supported by the computer and recommended memory upgrade options.

If you are unsure of your computer’s make and model, the System Scanner tool automatically scans the computer’s system to determine the current memory situation and then recommends compatible upgrades for your specific system.

Crucial.com offers hundreds of thousands of types of computer memory upgrades for PCs and Mac computers, both new and old. The company also guarantees that the memory you buy through the Memory Advisor tool will be 100 percent compatible with your system.

To find your memory upgrade options, visit http://www.crucial.com.

We’ve all seen the headlines:

The Fellowes’ Workplace Data Security Report found that 81 percent of full-time business employees have access to paper documents containing sensitive workplace information, yet only 62 percent cite their company as having a data security policy on which employees are trained. Some of those untrained employees may be leaving their companies vulnerable to a security breach, as the survey also reports that nearly a quarter of employees leave sensitive paper documents on top of their desks.

According to the study, full-time office employees may unwittingly contribute to a digital or paper-based security breach by practicing risky behaviors:

• Approximately one in four (26 percent) leave their computers unlocked when away from their desk

• Fifteen percent throw paper documents containing sensitive information in the trash

• Only 60 percent maintain a secure firewall

• Less than half of respondents (44 percent) ensure their mail is safe by sending it through a secure mailbox

“Whether electronic or in paper form, confidential information in the workplace is a hot item for theft, and the methods employed by criminals to obtain this information are constantly evolving,” says John Sileo, an identity theft expert. “With smart prevention measures, you can help your company avoid a costly breach that can lead to personal consequences – like identity theft.”

Having learned a great deal from suffering a security breach within his own business, Sileo is now an award-winning author and international speaker on the topic. He travels the country educating businesses about ways to prevent the crime.

“Data protection can be simple as long as the proper procedures are in place and widely practiced,” continues Sileo. He offers five key pieces of advice when speaking with business employees:

• Lock your office when you leave for the day to prevent anyone accessing it after hours.

• Ensure your computer is locked with a secure password containing a unique combination of letters and numbers.

• Ask your IT department to check that your firewall is secure and up to date.

• Don’t leave paper documents on your desk or in common printing areas and store important documents in a locked filing cabinet.

• Shred unneeded documents with a Cross-Cut shredder, like Fellowes’ 79Ci.

According to Sileo, a shredder with Cross-Cut technology is vital to ensuring documents are properly destroyed. The 79Ci from Fellowes also offers 100 percent Jam Proof technology to help make shredding jobs easy and productive.

What do online privacy policies accomplish? Why do you need one? Sometimes, it’s required, such as the statutes that govern email SPAM.  Others are optional. In general, your online privacy policy is your company’s pledge to your customers about how you will use, not use, and protect the consumer data you collect from them.  Check out SBA.gov’s own privacy policy as an example.

A privacy policy is not just lip service to your customers. You’ll need to make sure your business follows the policy by implementing reasonable security measures to protect your customers’ data.  Failure to follow your business’s privacy policy can result in costly legal fees.

The thing about online privacy policies is that they differ from business to business and must be tailored to fit each business’ needs. However, there are some general guidelines and laws to be aware of as you craft your policy.

Explain How You Collect and Use Personal Information
While not required by law (although the Federal Trade Commission prohibits any deceptive practices), creating a privacy policy is important if you want people to buy your products. This is particularly important if you are involved in e-commerce or if you collect information in surveys or marketing forms. Every customer has a right to know how you collect and use their information.

Online privacy policy generators (just run a search on that term and you’ll find them) can help you craft a policy. As you craft yours, be sure to clearly explain the following:

Your Cookie Policy – Cookies are used to store user preferences or shopping cart contents. Clearly explain your cookie practice.

How You Share Customer Information – Customers need to know that their data will only be used to complete the transaction and that any further use of that data (including selling or distributing it) requires their consent.

Contact Information – Make it easy for your customers to contact you or file a complaint.

Display Your Privacy Policy – Make sure new customers or users have easy access to your policy by prominently displaying links to it (from your home page, product pages, and in the shopping cart). Remember, you want them to feel comfortable that you take their online security seriously.

Publish Your Email Opt-Out Policies – Include opt-out options in your email marketing (the CAN-SPAM Act requires it) and on your website so that your customers have the option of changing or canceling their email notices. Read more about opt-out and CAN-SPAM laws in SBA’s guide to Online Advertising Law.

Collecting Data from Children – If your website targets children under the age of 13, you’ll need to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Adhere to Your Policy – Adherence to your policy is important from the standpoint of both customer credibility and the law: the Federal Trade Commission will investigate complaints of unfair or deceptive practices. A case in point: its recent investigation of Facebook privacy practices. As new technologies emerge, such as mobile apps, online communities, and social media, be sure to update your privacy policy to align with any changes to the way you capture and protect consumer information.

Get a Seal of Approval – Third party validation of your online privacy and security policy can enhance your credibility.  For a fee, these companies can help you create your privacy policy, or review your existing one, and conduct an annual audit to test your compliance.

Talk to an Expert – The Federal Trade Commission is constantly reviewing privacy issues. Areas such as cloud computing, mobile applications, social media, and other online services are increasingly coming under the spotlight. If you do most of your business online, talk to a lawyer who specializes in Internet or online law to determine whether your policies are adequate.

Helpful Resource:
Free Privacy Statement Help & Generator

According to the L.A. Times, 24 percent of U.S. adults now use apps. There are estimated to be more than 700,000 apps available across iPhones, Android, Windows, Nokia, BlackBerry and other smaller platforms. More than 14 billion apps have been downloaded. That’s a lot of apps.

The app-creating tool, Everyone Apps, by Bitzio (stock symbol: BTZO), helps lower the cost of developing and deploying applications, helps improve marketing and, as a result, increases sales. Experts at the company predict that by the end of the year, many people will begin to switch from being app consumers to app creators. Here’s why:

Apps will help you stay in touch. With smartphone sales gaining on computer sales, apps may soon become the main communication medium between businesses and consumers, with cloud technology replacing e-mail.

The technology for the use of apps will force hardware to catch up in clever and innovative ways.

Imagine a cutting board in the kitchen with a screen on it showing you how to cut flowers out of a carrot while you’re using the cutting board to actually do it.

Apps are expected to replace traditional media. Companies that develop apps for mobile eWallet purchases and integration of social coupon sharing are expected to explode, and consumers may soon start seeing taglines like “Swipe your smart-phone instead of your debit card.”

Apps will help you share. You may be able to send a 50-cent coupon for product X to 500 of your Facebook or other social media friends.

Bitzio can help companies launch their app products by building communities through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, marketing, optimizing and automating their apps, and creating innovative technology solutions.

For more information, visit http://www.bitzio.com.

Vonage Mobile® is a free downloadable app that lets users talk and text worldwide for free with anyone else who uses the app (data rates may apply). It also provides ultra low-cost calling to friends and family who don’t have the app. It’s a combination of the best free and paid communications apps, all rolled into one.

The new app is the latest offering from Vonage, a provider of communications services connecting individuals through mobile and broadband devices worldwide. Users don’t have to be a Vonage home phone customer to use the app—just download it for free from iTunes® or Android™ Market.

Significant Cost Savings
When calling friends and family who don’t have the app, users can make calls globally with per-minute rates that are on average 70 percent less than major mobile carriers and 30 percent less than Skype. Rates start at .016 cents/min., and calling credit is available in $4.99 and $9.99 increments, making it one of the most cost-effective solutions for international calling.

A Free Global Network
Users can instantly build a free global calling and texting network using the app’s multi-invite system from their existing contacts. Even more exciting, Vonage Mobile uses the phone’s existing mobile number and contact list, eliminating the need for unique user names and duplicate identities for contacts. It’s incredibly easy to use, allowing users to take full advantage of the features without the hassle of having to leave the app.

A Comprehensive Solution
“Vonage Mobile consolidates the best features of our prior applications, while adding important functionality, better value and improved ease of use,” said Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage. “It combines the best of free high-def voice and messaging along with incredible value for traditional international calls, all while using the existing mobile number and address book for unsurpassed ease of use.”

Vonage Mobile works over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G wireless data networks, worldwide. In addition to iPhone and Android smartphones, the app also works on iPad®, iPod Touch® and Android™ Tablets.

For more information on Vonage Mobile, please go to iTunes, Android Market or http://www.vonagemobile.com.

Digital storage devices such as hard drives from Western Digital (WD) are one solution that provides great value and reliability. In a recent survey, nearly 55 percent of consumers said they do not back up or protect the digital content on their computer because either they don’t know how or think it’s too difficult. What makes this statistic more interesting is that nearly 60 percent of the same survey participants said they would miss their computers and its contents most if lost or stolen.

Today, the process of backing up important data on your computer is a simple plug-and-play process, so why take the risk?

There are a variety of inexpensive, reliable and easy-to-use solutions that are available to suit your lifestyle. For active and mobile consumers, the My Passport portable drives by WD are an ideal solution, small enough to fit in your pocket but large enough to store and protect thousands of photos, dozens of movies and your entire music library.

My Book external hard drives offer larger capacities (up to 3 terabytes), sit on your desk and copy all your files for protection against computer crashes and general failures.

For the network-connected home, the My Book Live personal cloud device plugs directly into your wireless router and allows content stored on all computers in the home to be backed up on the single drive. And, because it is attached to your router, you can access all the content from your laptop, iPad, iPhone or other mobile device from anywhere in the world using WD’s WD 2go mobile application for iOS, Android and laptops.

People insure cars, homes and lives. Using a digital storage device, such as those made by WD, can be a smart way to protect all your precious digital assets as well.